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Serious liver disease is up among heavy drinkers, even without more drinking

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

LOS ANGELES — Serious liver disease is becoming more common among Americans who drink heavily, according to a new study from Keck Medicine of USC.

It's not that more people are partying with alcohol. And it's not that the drinkers are having more drinks. It's that more of the people who drink regularly are becoming sick.

Over the last two ...Read more

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US health, tech officials to launch data-sharing plan

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Top Trump administration health officials are expected to bring tech companies to the White House this week to roll out a plan to encourage more seamless sharing of health care data, according to people familiar with the matter.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services ...Read more

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Tribal health officials work to fill vaccination gaps as measles outbreak spreads

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

RAPID CITY, S.D. — Cassandra Palmier had been meaning to get her son the second and final dose of the measles vaccine. But car problems made it difficult to get to the doctor.

So she pounced on the opportunity to get him vaccinated after learning that a mobile clinic would be visiting her neighborhood.

“I was definitely concerned about the...Read more

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Measles cases just reached 30-year high in the US. How bad is California surge?

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Measles cases in California and the United States are climbing to levels the country hasn’t seen in years.

So far in 2025, the disease has infected 1,319 people nationwide, leading to 29 outbreaks and 165 hospitalizations, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Three people have died as a result ...Read more

These Texas counties have some of the highest STD rates in US, new report says

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Sexually transmitted infections are on the rise in Texas. And in some parts of the state, the numbers are climbing higher than the national average.

A new report from online healthcare service Invigor Medical based on CDC data offers a closer look at the counties with the highest reported cases and sheds light on what’s driving the trend.

...Read more

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Health officials confirm more measles cases in Michigan

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

DETROIT — Two measles cases were confirmed in Kent County last week, bringing its total count to four, officials said.

The Kent County Health Department announced the new cases in a press release Wednesday but did not provide any additional details.

"Because neither case involved public exposure sites or posed a risk to the general public, ...Read more

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Amid PFAS fallout, a Maine doctor navigates medical risks with her patients

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

When Lawrence and Penny Higgins of Fairfield, Maine, first learned in 2020 that high levels of toxic chemicals called PFAS taint their home’s well water, they wondered how their health might suffer. They had consumed the water for decades, given it to their pets and farm animals, and used it to irrigate their vegetable garden and fruit trees. ...Read more

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Georgia shows rough road ahead for states as Medicaid work requirements loom

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Every time Ashton Alexander sees an ad for Georgia Pathways to Coverage, it feels like a “kick in the face.”

Alexander tried signing up for Pathways, the state’s limited Medicaid expansion, multiple times and got denied each time, he said, even though he met the qualifying terms because he’s a full-time student.

Georgia is one of 10 ...Read more

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Louisiana upholds its HIV exposure law as other states change or repeal theirs

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

SHREVEPORT, La. — When Robert Smith met his future girlfriend in 2010, he wanted to take things slowly. For Smith, no relationship had been easy in the years since he was diagnosed with the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV. People often became afraid when they learned his status, even running away when he coughed.

The couple waited months...Read more

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Cuts to food benefits stand in the way of RFK Jr.'s goals for a healthier national diet

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

ALBANY, Ga. — Belinda McLoyd has been thinking about peanut butter.

McLoyd, 64, receives a small monthly payment through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, previously known as food stamps.

“They don’t give you that much to work with,” she said. To fit her tight budget, she eats ramen noodles — high on sodium and ...Read more

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Commentary: Courts can protect trans health care by recognizing patient-physician privilege

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Information, in the second Trump administration, is a currency of power and fear. Last week, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced sweeping subpoenas targeting physicians and medical providers who offer care for transgender youth. The aim is not to initiate prosecutions: Indeed, the legal theories upon which such prosecutions might rest are ...Read more

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With COVID cases rising this summer, what to know about the Paxlovid treatment

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

COVID-19 is rising in prevalence in many states nationally following the July 4 holiday week, but the role of the main therapy to treat it — the antiviral drug Paxlovid — is less clear.

Research studies over the past year found the drug less effective in real-world use than it was in clinical trials during the race in 2020 and 2021 to find ...Read more

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Kennedy's mental health drug skepticism lands at FDA panel

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration, making good on a Trump administration promise to examine usage of antidepressants, on Monday convened a panel largely of antidepressant skeptics to discuss the health impacts of taking such medicine while pregnant, though several panelists have no particular expertise on pregnancy research.

The ...Read more

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Republicans plan bipartisan health package as Democrats demur

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans say they are working on a bipartisan health package to lower drug and health insurance costs, a development that’s news to some Democrats who remain skeptical that their GOP colleagues will work with them.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., is leading the talks, with a particular focus on more transparency from ...Read more

Environmental Nutrition: The prudent diet

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Q: What is the prudent diet?

Q: The prudent diet is a balanced eating pattern that emphasizes whole, nutrient-rich foods while limiting processed options. It is designed to promote overall health, reduce the risk of chronic diseases, and support longevity.

This diet focuses on consuming fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, nuts, ...Read more

6 tips for what to drink during a workout

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

It’s important to consume the right amount of fluids and know the risks of dehydration when you are considering what to drink during a workout. Water or sports drinks can replenish lost fluids and electrolytes. Chocolate milk can provide carbohydrates and protein, making it a good post-workout recovery drink.

More than 60% of your body is ...Read more

Mayo Clinic Q&A: Using radiation therapy to treat brain tumors

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I have been diagnosed with a brain tumor and advised to have radiation therapy. I’m very nervous about this and the risks for me, my family and, potentially, another cancer diagnosis. Can you explain why radiation therapy could be right for me?

ANSWER: Radiation therapy has been used to treat cancer since the beginning of ...Read more

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No one knows whether Trump's $50B for rural health care will be enough

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Congress set aside $50 billion for rural hospitals and medical providers to allay fears over the billions more in historic cuts to federal health care spending that President Donald Trump signed into law on Independence Day.

But is that bandage big enough to save struggling rural hospitals?

“I have more questions than I have answers,” said...Read more

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The future of skin allergy testing

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Skin allergies are common and often frustrating to diagnose. But new technology could soon help change that.

Dr. Alison Bruce, a dermatologist at Mayo Clinic, is aiding the development of an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered tool to support allergy patch testing. The tool is being designed to help patients self-apply test patches and use ...Read more

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West Nile virus found in mosquito samples in California's Orange County

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

LOS ANGELES — Public health officials on Tuesday said mosquito samples collected in Anaheim and Garden Grove have tested positive for West Nile virus, the first confirmed virus activity this year.

There have been four positive mosquito samples collected in those cities, according to the Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District. So ...Read more